Tube expander with expansible ball drift removable by its expansion



Jan. 25, 1949. G. A. GEYER TUBE EXPANDER WITH EXPANSIBLE BALL DRIFTREMOVABLE BY ITS EXPANSION File d Oct. 11, 1945 INVENTOR. GEargc A.GEyeK ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 25, 1949 UNITED; STATE TUBE examine WITH;ExrnNsrBLn BALL I mum. nE ov -BLE BILTSgEXEANSION George-A; Geyer,Application was 11,, 1945,.IsTeriai.Nd.. 621,651

' 401mm. (01. 153-80.) r v (iGrantedg under the act of. warm 351883, as

amended April 30, 19283371}.

... I!his invention. relates to: a: tube expander of I the. typedescribed inimy United States Patent N012,J555,4 I6, issuedAprilZfi,1939.

It; is; an object of; this; invention. to provide a unitary-tube:expander of simplified andimproveddesi m Another object is to provide.a. ball-drift tubeexpander. which can be readily assembled. andmuntedinpowertools.

Another object is; to'provide a ball-drift tube expander in which theball drift can be readily amt applied, removed and changed.

Another object is to provide a ball-drift tube expander all parts ofwhich, with the exception of theball. drift, form anintegral unit.

Further objects and advantages, as'well as the construction, arrangementand operation, will be apparent from the folltrwing' description andclaims in connection with the accompanying drawingslin-which,

Fig 1 isan elevational view of the. unitary tube expander, mounted in. apower tool,v and Eig. 2 is a. sectional view of. the tube expander,partially in. elevation, taken along the line: 2.--2 of. Fig. 1,. andshown in operating relationship with aeondenser tube and sheet.

In the drawings there is shown a unitary tubeexpander body ll comprisinga tool shank 12, a smoothly curved wedge portion l3, a frustoconicaltaper portion l5 terminating in an enlarged portion or collar M at theend adjacent said wedge portion l3, and a ball drift retaining portionl6 at the other end. Shank I 2 of body i l is adapted to be mounted inthe hammer end of a pneumatic hammer I! or other power device, and to beretained therein, as

by adapter i 8.

About the frusto-conical taper portion 15 is located the internallyconical externally rounded ball drift IS, the interior of the ball drifti9 being shaped to correspond with the shape of the taper portion i5.Extending through ball drift I9 is a diagonal slit 2!].

The retaining portion l8 terminates the smallest diameter of the taperportion IS, the diameter of retaining portion 16 adjacent taper portionl5 being greater than the smallest dimeter of taper portion l5, but notbeing greater than the greatest diameter of taper portion [5. Retainingportion It at no point has a diameter exceeding the diameter adjacenttaper portion l5, and is preferably frusto-conical and shaped tocorrespond to a section of the interior of ball drift I 9. A pair ofopposed flats or recesses 2| are provided in collar M, by means of whichtools or'otherz'objects cansb'er brought into bearing I Y engagementwith the adjacent end of ball drift tat." In'Fig. -2 the device; isshown. in operative relationship With a condenser tube 22 and a tubesheet 23 provided with a fiaredopeningi 2.4.

The device can; be utilized in. the' following manner; The body H.c'an'be mounted in pneu-- matichammer H orany other power devicecapable? of exerting: intermittent or continuous pressucegand; secured.therein, as by adapter; t8. Auba'zlh drift i291 isvsrelect'e'd. and;placed: .on taper portion by forcing it over and beyond re- .portionjl-6.- The internal. shape. of ball. t9: and: theqdiagonalxslitdllfacilitate the passage of the: ball drift, i9; over retaining portit,as: pressure exerted-upon ball drift it in; a: direction toward-body. Iit causes'the slit ball drift Hi to expand. The expansion of ball drift[daismost easily accomplished .when, retaining pettionifi is offrusto-conicalshape corresponding to-the interior of balldrift l9., Whenball drift la has been forcedpast retaining portion tfiyitcontracts andadapts itself. to the shape ef taper portion 15.

rt-emu drift, i9..is. inserted .into. condenser tube 22 ani:i. penumatichammer H or other power source is operated to force body ii into tube22. This causes ball drift l9 to expand along its diagonal slit 2!) andtravel up taper portion l5 until it abuts oollar'i i. Further operationthen causes ball drift it to expand tube 22 into a tight fit Within tubesheet 23, and finally the wedge portion l3 reaches the end of condensertube 22 andflares it outwardly against the flared opening 24. Thespacing of wedge portion I 3 from the taper portion I5 is determined bythe thickness of tube sheet 23, the spacing being such that the Wedgeportion l3 reaches the end of condenser tube 22 and flares it outwardlyas ball drift l9 penetrates beyond the tube sheet 23.

The surface of the ball drift l9 being highly polished, the resultinginner surface of the tube 22 is correspondingly smooth and polished. To

removed from taper portion l5, recesses 2| alfording opportunity fortools or other devices, such as vice jaws, to be bought into bearingengagement with that end of ball drift l9 adjacent collar l4. Ball driftI9 can be expanded slightly in any desired fashion, as by turning ascrew driver in slot 20, and the ball drift l9 readily removed pastretaining portion 16, or body H easily removed from within the balldrift [9.

Body H, combining tool shank l2, wedge portion [3, collar l4, taperportion l5, and retaining portion 16 in a unitary structure .affords thetube expander maximum strength and simplicity, eliminating numeroussteps of assembly and disassembly. Retaining portion [6, integral withv10 body H, in combination with recesses 2| permits the application andremoval ofball drift-I9 with ease and speed. The integral retainingportion l6 retains ball drift [9 effectively through extended periods ofwork, and is unaffected by shockand vibration such as results fromtheoperation "of pneumatic hammers.

@ portion-nearone end of the body and tapering inwar'dlyto'ward saidend, an expansible ball drift- Modifications and changes can be made inthis invention without departing from the spirit and The inventiondescribed herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Governmentof theUn'ited States of America for governmental purposes without thepayment of any royalties thereon or therefor. i

What isclaimed is: 1

1. Atube expander comprising a body, ataper portion near one end of thebody and tapering inwardly toward said end, an expansible'ball driftmounted for sliding movement on said taperportion, a retainingenlargement at the narrow end of and integral with said taper portion,said enlargement being tapered'in the same direction as said'taper'portion, said balldriftlin expanded condition being capable ofpassing over said enlargement and an enlargement at the large end ofsaid taper portion forming a transverse shoulder for limiting slidingmovement and expansion of said balldrift.

2. A tube expander comprising a body, afrustoconical taper portion nearone end of the body and tapering inwardly toward said end, an expansibleball drift mounted for sliding movement on said taper portion, afrusto-conical retaining enlargement at the narrow end of and integralwith said taper portion, said enlargement being tapered in the samedirection as said-taper pormounted for.v sliding movement on said taperportion, a retaining enlargement at the narrow end of andintegra'l withsaid taper portion, said ball drift in expanded condition being capableof passing over said enlargement, and an enlarge- I i ment at-the largeend of said taper portion formscope thereof as set forth in the appendedclaims.

ing a transverse shoulder for limiting sliding movement and expansion ofsaid ball drift.

4." A tube expander comprising. a body; a taper portion near one end ofthe body and tapering inwardly towardsaid end, an e'xpansible ball driftmounted .forsliding movement on said taper portion, a retainingenlargement-at the narrow'end of and integral with said taper portion,said ball drift in' expanded condition being capable of passingover said 'enlargement, "and means at the large end of said taperportionforlimiting sliding movement and expansion-of said:'bal1 drift. 1air.

.' GEORGE" A. GEYERJ REFERENCES CITED The following references-areof're'cordinfthe file of this patent: 1

UNITED-STATES PATENI'S 943 907 Dec/ 21,1909 1,161;0'7s Nov. 23, 91,9151,647,447 -Nov. 1,1927

